I enjoyed great rest days with my brother and nephew in North Creek, NY. We relaxed on a train ride down and back the Hudson River, played some spirited games of Frisbee Golf (Chase, my nephew is really a good driver, I stink out loud), and a steep hike up Crane Mountain with incredible payoff views at the peak. The hike included climbs up rocky faces and trail-built wooden ladders to scale two granite facings. The vista at the top of the Adirondacks and multiple mountain lakes were stunning. One of our best day hikes in our history of trekking. We had intended on fly-fishing and white water rafting, but neither worked out. The fishing had many obstacles and the local guide said the best bets were float fishing, but they were long distance trips that we did not have the time to do. The whitewater trip was actually cancelled after we sat by the launch area for several hours waiting on the dam gears to be fixed. Yes. I spelled that correctly, the dam release is what the rafters count on for the whitewater run. One of the gears stripped and after multiple updates that it would be only a "short while", the rafting guides had to call it off because it was getting too late to make it down the river.
We took advantage of that time to just chill, get the laundry done and crank up a great fire for roasting hot dogs. Sometimes you forget just how good fully roasted hot dogs can be.
After another round of frisbee golf on the side of Gore Mountain the next morning, it was time to get back on the bike and finish the final leg of the trip. A relatively short ride today to Ticonderoga, NY to catch one more small ferry ride into Vermont, home of the Green Mountains.
The ride was beautiful with the mountains starting to get steeper and the banks of the lake becoming more sheer. The traffic seemed light for a Labor Day weekend which made for a relaxing run, especially on a long, fast 2 mile descent into Ticonderoga. That was certainly fun, but the cross winds had me feathering the brakes several times to keep a steady ride. Of course that just means that the climbs on the other side of the river are going to have a price that must be paid.
It is unseasonably hot here with temps reaching 95 degrees in Shoreham when the highs this time of year usually barely break into the 70s. There is constant grumbling by the locals, and I must admit, I was certainly hoping for cooler temps as well. There are a couple of rain days ahead of me that should bring cooler temps behind it.
I only have one more camping night this final week, as I am staying in several inns along the way. Tonight I am in 200 year old Shoreham Inn that has a small restaurant and pub downstairs. Great place to stay and other than being a Manchester United fan, the owners are fantastic. He was born and raised in Manchester, so that certainly trumps my remote fandom of Tottenham.
We start climbing the Green and White Mountains over the next three days. I am told I am in for some beautiful cycling as I end this journey. Tomorrow is on to South Royalton, VT
Moose Search: 0.
Song in my head: Aerosmith; Back in the Saddle.
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